At present, edge emitting lasers are used for high power applications. However, edge emitting lasers have several problems, such as difficulty in manufacture, manual alignment, high cost, and the like.
Recently, there has been interest in an optical device called a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). VCSELs offer several potential advantages, such as emitting light perpendicular to its die, providing a feasibility of an array of VCSELs, integration with standard electronic components, as well as on wafer testing. However, at present, conventional VCSEL devices are low power devices. Since conventional VCSELs are low power devices, their use in higher power applications, such as optical phase changing applications, and the like are limited. Further, it should be noted that because conventional VCSELs are low power devices, the other advantages previously mentioned with regard to VCSELs, can not be realized.
It can readily be seen that conventional VCSEL devices can not be used for higher power applications, thus presenting several disadvantages and problems and limiting their use in higher power applications. Therefore, an article and method for making that allows VCSEL devices to be used in higher power applications, with a reduction of cost, and increase manufactureability would be highly desirable.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved coalescing optical module.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide an unlimited number of light emitting devices coalesced into a common output.
It is still another purpose of the present invention to provide sum the outputs of an unlimited number of light emitting devices for higher power applications.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved coalescing optical module that is highly manufacturable.